Character houses
A medieval house and its rampart tower in Burgundy
Location
150 minutes from Paris and 80 from Dijon, access to the A6/E15/E60 (sun motorway), Dijon-Longevic airport, Dijon TGV train station or Auxerre SNCF train station.
The house dominates the valleys of the Morvan Nature Park.
Description
The property consists of a house built on the medieval ramparts with a round defensive tower which gives a panoramic view over the surrounding countryside and the wall-walk. The origins of the house date from the 12th century but it was rebuilt in the 15th century. It stands on a cellar dating from the 12th-13th century.
The architecture of the house still bears traces of its Romanesque origins, with notably semi-circular window arches on the ground floor, the arch mouldings of which are inscribed with a family motto.
Above the nail-studded entrance door are two of Plautus’ verses engraved in Latin that can be translated as “It is not so much the quantity as the quality that counts” and “I would have seen to it that names suited things”.
The first floor includes a basic window, together with a mullioned window fairly characteristic of the 15th century. The gable of the facade features two plain rectangular windows. The four aligned corbels dividing the first floor from the ground floor strengthen the structure of the building. The floor is laid on three of them inside the house. The rear facade of the building is a gable facade with a square tower adjoined to it.
Excluding the cellar, the house has three stories, two of which can be lived in, the top floor being a spacious attic. There are terracotta tiles on the floors, with French ceilings in some of the rooms. A wonderful 15th century spiral stairway leads to the upper floor and the attic. The features of the main large cellar make it unique: its size, the height of the vaulted ceiling, its impressive pillars adorned with capitals decorated with acanthus leaves.
Our opinion
Its architectural qualities and dominant position make this house one of the better known in its medieval city. It could obviously be used for a bed & breakfast activity, given the tourist trade in the region, but it would also certainly please an enthusiast of the medieval period wanting to put life back into a beautiful building.
Price: 580 000 €
Our fees are included in the stated sale price.
Reference 2616CB
| Land registry surface area | 4a 12ca / 4435 sq ft |
| Main building surface area | 300 m² / 3229 sq ft |
Regional representative
Céline Berrette +33 (0)6 98 65 18 07
NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
